Despite efforts by the Ministry of Education to prepare education institutions with suitable education atmospheres, there is evidence that cases of violence, and group and individual fights are still continuing. The problem is now so serious that students have taken to carrying knives, sharp and pointed implements and pistols which has resulted in the death of a number of innocent victims. Some critics attribute the violence to poor implementation of a school code of conduct while others blame parents for their ineffective role and inadequate attention being given to student guidance. Hafr Al-Batin and Najran have both witnessed several melees among students that resulted in serious injuries. Khamis Mushayt witnessed a fight between two students which quickly developed into a melee in which 100 students were involved. Even Rumah Governorate has not been spared from student violence, as it witnessed a collective knife fight among 20 students which ended in the hospitalization of four students. In Al-Aflaj, several students got into a melee which even the teachers could not break up. Seven security patrols eventually had to be summoned to disengage those involved. The problem has even spilled over into the girls' section. In Tabuk a dispute between two female students turned into a collective fight among girls which had to be broken up by their mothers. In Al-Ahsa one student was hospitalized after he was stabbed by his classmate. In Al-Baha, a student who had managed to get hold of a firearm followed his schoolmate and shot him down with seven bullets after a conflict broke out between the two. Even more recently a student was stabbed to death by his colleague in Al-Leeth. Educational studies stress the importance of attention during childhood and the provision of a suitable psychological and educational climate for growth, as this stage of development has a clear effect on the student's future personality. They show that maltreatment of a child at home leads to aggressive conduct whose seeds are planted in the early stages of life and then continues through his relationship with his friends and brothers, then his parents, teachers and schoolmates. These studies view violence as an abnormal conduct due to the force used in it. In cases of violence, intense aggressiveness explodes beyond all reasonable bounds. It is quite unpredictable and even explodes in people least expected to show violence. Mostly violence comes from weak individuals who cannot control their motives when facing difficult situations. Schools accused of negligence However a number of parents say the majority of the problems of students are due to weak monitoring by school administration and teachers. Khalid Muhammad Al-Ghamdi said, “Schools can't control their students as they once did. Hence they are forced to resort to beating and exerting pressure on students. Also, schools lack the modern technological means of recreation and we should not forget that there are students suffering due to poverty, family breakups, and divorce and these issues have not been addressed promptly.” Means that feed violence Shaker Aal Jumaih said, “The integration of roles between the family and school is important for getting rid of violence. Courses for families should be held and technology like e-mail and text messages should be used to inform guardians about their children's conduct.” Abdulaziz Abdulhafeez blames general media and children's electronic means of recreation like computer games. He says, “Through their subjects these games give children the impression that violence and revenge are the characteristics of heroes. This is contrary to what our religion calls for. Most of the disputes between students develop to the stage of violence due to their lack of confidence in the teacher as an arbitrator who can be resorted to solve disputes. Furthermore, most of the teachers deal with students' disagreements in a superficial and general way, hence increasing tension between students.” Iman Al-Hazmi believes the problem is due to the culture of dealing with a mistake using violence that some students acquire from their home environment. She points out that a student is merely a child, and not a fully grown person. She adds that violence is the result of the domestic environment especially for families that adopt violence as a means of punishment and a way to teach manners. Imad Bukhari says the media are the main reason for violence among students. His little son has started imitating what he sees on TV not only in his words and deeds, but also in the clothes he wears. Asma Kutbi says students resort to violence due to the weak educational method being followed by some parents, which lacks religious content. She stressed that it is important to enlighten students to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his conduct and particularly in dealing with anger. As to the reasons this phenomenon has affected girls' schools as well, Kutbi says the gap between males and females in all aspects of life has decreased greatly in recent years due to the increasing emotional stress and laxity by some woman teachers in dealing with disputes between female students. Hence, these minor disputes can develop into serious violence. Family problems Ahmad Fahd Al-Khashel, a student counselor, said that “some students whose conduct appears to be criminal usually have a family background in which there is violence and repression, separation between parents, cases of divorce or several wives. All these come under the categorization of family problems. Undoubtedly, when the student who has family problems and is subjected to violence at home finds his peers in a good psychological and family situation, this affects his conduct and the way he deals with others. He commits mistakes whether through fights or even killing at times. It is worth noting that this student has deep regret for his wrong conduct.” Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman Himyani, a teacher, attributes the causes of violence among students to electronic and computer games. He says, “Some play the role of the criminal and carry out criminal acts, like killing, bomb blasts, crossing red lights and even carrying different kinds of knives, grenades, and lethal sophisticated pistols. Therefore, it is easy for the student to practice it in reality.” However, Sulaiman Al-Zaidi, a psychologist in Jeddah Health Affairs, insists that violence in schools has not reached the level of becoming a phenomenon as there are standards for controlling criminal or aggressive conduct. These should be applied strictly in schools before the violence becomes an epidemic. __
